The global PC industry performed better than expected in the third quarter of 2009, showing signs of recovery in the PC market, according to research firms IDC and Gartner.
According to Gartner, the worldwide PC shipments totaled 80.9m units, up 0.5% compared to the same period a year ago. Earlier, Gartner expected PC shipments to decline 5.6% in the quarter.
Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, said: “These are good results especially given that PC shipments for the third quarter of 2009 are being compared to a very strong third quarter from 2008. Sequentially, third quarter shipments grew 18%, which is higher than the historical seasonal growth from the second to third quarter.
According to IDC, the global PC shipments rose 2.3% year on year in the third quarter of 2009. All regions except Japan either met or surpassed expectations. Portable PCs continued to account for the majority of volume and growth, with mini notebooks still making a substantial contribution.
Taiwan-based Acer surpassed Dell gaining second spot in the worldwide PC market during the quarter. IDC reported that Acer’s shipments rose 25.6% and its market share reached 14% from 11.4% in the same period a year ago.
While, Gartner’s results show that the Acer’s market share rose to 15.4% form 12.5% in the same period last year. Its shipments saw a growth of 23.6% during the quarter.
HP continued to lead the global PC market with its shipments rising 9.3% with market share of 20.2%, according to IDC. HP shipments grew 9% with a market share of 19.9% during the quarter, said Gartner.
Loren Loverde, program director for IDC’s Tracker Program, said: Despite the ongoing mix of gloom and caution on the economic front, the PC market continues to rebound quickly. The competitive landscape, the transition to portables, new and low-power designs, growth in retail and consumer segments, and the impact of falling prices are all reflected in the gains by HP and Acer, as well as overall market growth.
